Open Book - P.J. MacLayne

A Thousand Words: Cover Wars #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 17, 2022 July 17, 2022 Open Book

July 18, 2022

Do you create your own covers? Work with a cover artist to design them? Hand your ideas over to a professional and let them come up with a design? Buy a pre-made cover?

Before I begin, let me update you. We are in our new home on Pennsylvania but nowhere near settled. We’re working hard to get the basics in place—its nice to sleep in our bed again—but there’s lots of unpacking to do. Since I have officially retired from my day job, we can tackle it a little at a time, at least until we get tired of boxes everywhere. One of my goals once we are at basic functionality is to put together my new writing space. That room is currently not usable because it’s filled with boxes and furniture that needs reassembled, but soon I will have a real office. I’ll share pictures when I can.

Now, on to the topic—covers.

I have several artistic hobbies I enjoy, but making covers isn’t one of them. Heck, I can barely pull together a post for social media using Canva. I know enough to know that a cover is beyond my skill level.

Luckily, I have a talented sister who is trained in graphic arts and helps me. (As always, thank you, K.M.!) We’ve developed a ‘standard” process for cover designing.

We start with the blurb so she can get a ‘feel’ for the story. Then we spend time scanning photo sites for ‘the’ picture that will become the basis of the cover. I’ll send her links to several I think have potential, and she’ll use them to find one that’s better. That’s just a starting point—she will end up combining several pictures to create her final design.

Fonts are another aspect of covers I leave to her. She understands how to combine them—or not—what size they should be, and which style works with the overall theme. Things I am clueless about.

What do I do besides watch her create a masterpiece? I get final approval. Tough job, but someone has to take the responsibility!

I’d love to show you a few of the preliminary designs in contrast to the ultimate covers, but my PC with those files is still packed away. Instead, I’ll share my top three favorites.

Three different styles of covers reflecting three very different books. I think the first one is my all-time favorite because of the intensity in the model’s face, but the last one I love because it showcases the skill of my cover artist. The middle one made the list because of its seeming simplicity, but a closer look reveals semi-hidden details that elevate it to one of my favorites.

I believe we have at least one regular on this hop that designs their own covers. It’ll be interesting to hear their take on this topic, as well as everyone else’s. Just follow the links below!

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 18, 2022

Do you create your own covers? Work with a cover artist to design them? Hand your ideas over to a professional and let them come up with a design? Buy a pre-made cover?

This Writer’s Wish List #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 3, 2022 July 4, 2022 Open Book

July 4th, 2022

What’s on your writer’s wish list – List 5 things you have been wanting to buy or try as a writer.

My wants are simple, but I’ve accumulated too much ‘stuff’ in my life. There’s a story behind that sentence, but you’ll have to wait to hear it. Still, there are a few things I’d like to add to help me with my writing.

A whiteboard. Being a pantser, I lose track of what day of the week it is in my story. Having a whiteboard to diagram it on would save me from going back and counting. (Numerous times as my story develops.)
A new chair. I’ve worn my current chair out. Even the cushion I’m sitting on isn’t comfortable anymore. That’s because I’ve used the same chair since before the pandemic. Working from home meant my butt spent a lot of hours sitting in that chair.
Speaking of new, a new computer. The hard drive in this one is dying. I’ve got everything backed up (and a back-up computer) so I’m not worried about losing anything. The last time I bought myself a brand-new computer was back in the 1990s. I saved money by repurposing outdated PCs from work. I need a new printer too, but that can wait.
A warmer for my morning cup of tea. My tea always gets lukewarm before I am done drinking it. Or perhaps an electric kettle to keep near my desk so I can make a fresh cup whenever I want.
A software named Fictionary that is supposed to help with developmental edits. The company is partners with ProWritingAid, which I use extensively. Fictionary seems worth a try. Has anyone tested it? If you have, please share your experience.

I alluded to having too much ‘stuff’ in my life. Well, the amount has shrunk over the last few months. I officially retired from my day job, and me and my husband are moving. Yes, I am leaving the Rocky Mountains and returning to Western Pennsylvania, closer to family. Frankly, I got priced out of the market anyplace in the Mountain States.

As a result, I’ve decreased my hoard of vintage computer parts and pieces. I even (shudder) passed on books to other people. The new place will have room for me to have an actual office and plenty of spots for bookshelves to rebuild my collection.

My plans include gardening, reading, sitting in the sun, and, yes, writing. There are still stories to be told and characters to meet. Who knows how the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania will inspire me this time around?

Tell me what else I should be wishing for in the comments. And check out the other authors’ wish lists by following the links below. Until next time, please stay safe!

July 4th

What’s on your writer’s wish list – List 5 things you have been wanting to buy or try as a writer.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Saying Goodbye to Friends #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 26, 2022 June 26, 2022 Open Book

June 27, 2022

Do you miss a WIP (work in progress) when you’ve finished writing it?

That’s easy. Absolutely I do. In fact, I miss them before they are gone.

By that, I mean I find myself putting off writing the final few chapters. I know what those chapters need to accomplish, but I am reluctant to put the words on paper. It feels like saying goodbye to friends, even if I’m already plotting the next book in a series. The hours upon hours I have spent getting to know the characters—or getting to know them better—have made them not just people in a story, but my friends. A part of me will be missing when they are out of my brain and tucked into the pages of a story.

Still, I love writing the happy for now endings. No cliffhangers for me. I hate reading them so I refuse to write them.

A benefit of slowing down at the end? It gives my characters a chance to surprise me. Almost every book, as I reach the end, a new plot twist reveals itself. I think it’s my mind working overtime to put off that final scene where the story wraps up.

I have a confession to make – I have been known to go back and read my own books to reconnect with the characters. It’s like meeting up with old friends to share a meal and chat. They even manage to surprise me when a detail I forgot about reveals its importance to the story I’m currently writing.

Even the characters in books that I’ve written but never published will come back to hang out with me once in a while. Are they hoping to get me to take another look at their story? Whatever their motive, I enjoy their visits.

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they have a hard time saying goodbye to their stories? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

June 27, 2022

Do you miss a WIP when you’ve finished writing it?

You Write What!? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 19, 2022 June 19, 2022 Open Book

June 20, 2022

What assumptions do people make about you when they hear you are a writer?

I don’t have a good answer to this question, because I don’t pay much attention to it. Throughout my life, I’ve defied a lot of expectations and my writing is no exception. When I wrote poetry, no one seemed surprised—I fit the mold. Young housewife with two kids, writing poetry about nature and love—nothing out of the ordinary.

But those circumstances had changed by the time I released a book. I was in a professional role, and to outward appearances, I met the expectations of the job. The ‘correct’ clothes, the ‘correct’ attitude, the ‘correct’ game face. Then I released Wolves’ Pawn, a book featuring people shifting into wolves. Not what my coworkers or family expected. I received more than a few sideways glances and rolled eyes when certain people found out.

The reaction from my immediate team (mostly guys) was more encouraging. Gentle ribbing, but delivered with no malice and more as encouragement. How do I know? By the ones who bought copies of that and subsequent books even if they don’t plan on reading them.

I’ve met some of you at various comic cons and other events. Cons are my favorite. Everyone gets to be whoever they want to be. All assumptions are left at the door. I’m free to sell books about whatever subject I want. (And I’ve worked a mention of a few of the costumes I’ve seen into my books!)

Do people make assumptions about me? I’m willing to bet the answer is yes, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve been around long enough to know that’s the way people work.

How do the other authors on this hop feel about the assumptions people make? Just follow the links below to find out.

By the way, stay tuned to this space for big news—a change coming to my life!

Until then, please stay safe.

June 20, 2022

What assumptions do people make about you when they hear you are a writer?

How Do I Do It? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 12, 2022 June 12, 2022 Open Book

June 13, 2022

What is your process for writing? Plot, then write? Edit as you go or not until you’ve reached the end of the story? Figure out your characters first? Something else?

WARNING: Unedited content ahead

I didn’t expect much from the two smaller bedrooms, so I wasn’t disappointed by the plain, utilitarian beds. Those rooms would come to life with the right accessories, a floral bedcover in one and stripes in the other. What I wanted to see was the master bedroom. We’d torn out a wall to combine two rooms into one and make it more of a suite. That had been Jake’s idea, back before his arrest.

The first things that caught my eye were the intricately carved wooden headboard and footboard. Truthfully, there was no way not to see them. The king size bed and matching nightstands dominated the space. Two upholstered chairs graced one corner of the room and an empty bookshelf was placed nearby. Two dressers, matching the bed, lined a second wall. The room was lit by natural daylight streaming in from the large window. Once we added light brown bed coverings and curtains, it would be just what I’d imagined during construction. Perfect for Eli.

I glanced over to see Jake taking off his shoes. ‘Should we try it out?”

I wanted to, but not with Jake. I frowned.

“Not like that, Angel.” He sprinted across the room and leapt onto the bed, landing with a soft thud, barely bouncing as he hit.

It looked tempting. But I’d been cleaning most of the day and hadn’t changed my clothes. I wasn’t going to get Eli’s mattress dirty before he had a change to use it. But to placate Jake, I walked over and pushed on the bottom edge. My hand sank into the surface and stopped at the perfect depth and I imagined how it would feel if I let it support my whole body.

That scene didn’t make the cut. Harmony wouldn’t stand for it, and for good reason. She is very protective of her relationship with Eli, and she won’t stand for anything that threatens it—especially when it involves Jake, her ex-boyfriend.

My stories are very much driven by my characters. I may go in with an idea of my plot, but they are more than ready to tell me when I get it wrong. We’ve been known to have arguments about which direction the plot should go. My characters usually win. Plus, they hold surprises. There are things about Harmony, from the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, that I didn’t discover until the fifth book.

As a result, I have to edit before I reach the end of a story. I also edit as a way to get past spots when I get stuck. Of course, the two are related—getting stuck and ignoring where the characters want me to go. The time taken editing gives the story a chance to roll around in my mind and helps me find the right path.

I do have a bit of process. I write my first chapter on paper. There’s something about the ink flowing onto paper that unleashed my creativity. Even if I move to the computer keyboard once I find my ‘groove,’ putting words on paper allows me to scratch phrases and paragraphs out without feeling guilty. Plus, they are preserved in case I change my mind and decide to use them after all.

The other part of my process is that I slow down near the end of each story. I know the ending, but I don’t want to write it because I hate saying goodbye to my characters. Writing “The End” is a cause for both celebration and for mourning.

Every author has their own way of creating stories. To find out how the others on this hop do it, just follow the links below. And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

June 13, 2022

What is your process for writing? Plot, then write? Edit as you go or not until you’ve reached the end of the story? Figure out your characters first? Something else?

Teetering In The Middle #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 5, 2022 June 5, 2022 Open Book

June 6, 2022

How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

There are times we authors ask a lot of our readers. We ask them to believe that there’s a world out there where the sky is green, or that shifters live among us. Or maybe it’s something as simple as a jewel thief falling in love with a librarian. The readers are asked to believe that something seemingly impossible is true.

At the same time, we have to make sure the readers are comfortable enough with the characters and the story to keep turning the page. Are they expecting romance? Or suspense? They should be included.

Just this afternoon, I had a conversation with my mother about my latest release, “The Fall of Jake Hennessey” and how it makes her uncomfortable when she’s reading it and she meant it as a compliment. After all, my main character, Jake Hennessey, is not a good guy, but I’ve asked the reader to connect with him as he’s robbing a hotel safe or breaking into a mansion and rejoice with him when he succeeds. I’m not surprised that made my mother hesitant.

Writing Jake at his worst was hard, so I tried to balance his actions as a villain by including scenes where he’s shown as a decent guy. However, I left it up to the reader to decide if he’s truly doing it from the goodness of his heart or if it’s a way to manipulate the characters he’s involved with. Of course, he’s met his match In Harmony Duprie.

As usual, Harmony’s mind was a step ahead of his.

She picked up an armload of the books from her coffee table and carried them to the bookshelf. “There’s always a rational explanation for two people getting together. But not us,” she said as she returned them to their places. “Why can’t I find it?”

Harmony was slipping out of Jake’s grasp. Which meant he’d lose his chance at The Three Musketeers, the prize he’d been working for. But the longer he was around her, the more he realized she was the real prize. “Isn’t that like asking the meaning of life?” he asked.

“Why are you working in the construction business, Jake?”

The abrupt change in topic sent his mind spinning. “Because I like to eat. Why?”

“You keep going all philosophical on me, and I can’t tie the two things together. What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?”

He couldn’t tell her about the joy he got from a successful heist. “You know what I’d really like to do? Bring old houses back to life. That’s what brought me to Oak Grove.”
From The Fall of Jake Hennessey

I believe that it’s part of an author’s job to challenge their readers. How much is up to each of us. Finding the right balance can be tough and can change from story to story.

How do the other authors feel about challenging their readers? Follow the links below to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

June 6, 2022

How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

It Was a Dark And Stormy Night #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 29, 2022 May 29, 2022 Open Book

May 30, 2022

“The first sentence has to have a solid punch.” — Steve Berry from “Twisty Business” Let’s talk about it.

To quote Snoopy and others “It was a dark and stormy night…” (Yes, I’d love to insert a Snoopy comic strip here, but won’t because it would be copyright infringement.) The entire sentence, written by Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1830, is: ″It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.″

Then there’s this one penned by Stu Duval of New Zealand, winner of the 2021 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, honoring the most atrocious opening lines of the year. “A lecherous sunrise flaunted itself over a flatulent sea, ripping the obsidian bodice of night asunder with its rapacious fingers of gold, thus exposing her dusky bosom to the dawn’s ogling stare.”

Are you still with me? You didn’t nod off reading those sentences?

Compare those to this one from American Book Reviews 100 best first lines “Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash.” — J. G. Ballard from the book Crash.

I don’t claim my first lines match either the worst or the best, but I work hard on them. Here’s the opening line for my WIP. (untitled) “The rubber-tipped cane thunked as it hit the blacktop.” At least it’s better than the opening line from my first book, Wolves’ Pawn: “The spring rain had left puddles in the dirt road but she no longer tried to avoid them.”

Face it, readers need to get sucked into the story immediately. There’s no time to create a background story or a beautiful scene. They have their choice of thousands of stories to pick from, and if the first line doesn’t grab their attention, they may not move on to the second.

That first sentence should include hints about the genre, although it may not be immediately clear. (The cover should do that.). A mystery should be different from romance or fantasy. There’s a rule somewhere that the story shouldn’t begin with dialogue, but there are lots of examples of that being successfully broken.

It’s tough to do it right. I don’t know how many times I wrote and rewrote that first sentence for my newest book. Or how many times I may revise it again!

I’ve often said the first chapter is the hardest one to write, and the ‘right’ first sentence is tougher. I wonder if the other authors on this hop agree with me? Just follow the links below to find out.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

May 30, 2022

“The first sentence has to have a solid punch.” —Steve Berry from “Twisty Business” Let’s talk about it.

When It Works, It Works. When It Doesn’t… #OpenBook BlogHop

By P.J. MacLayne May 22, 2022 May 22, 2022 Open Book

May 23, 2022

We’ve shared marketing tips that worked for us. What have you tried that didn’t work?

Here’s the hard, honest truth. When it comes to publicity, what works one time to sell books may not work the next. And what works for one author may not work for another. And I’m not great at publicity.

For example, Facebook ads. Some authors swear by them. I’ve only tried a couple, and got no results. I can sometimes trace sales to a FB post with the opportunity for free publicity, but FB ads are a wasteland for me.

Amazon ads were the hot sales avenue for a while. I even sat through a workshop that explained how to put one together and how they worked. While the one I ran brought in sales, it never paid for itself. Then, last fall, it stopped working. I didn’t change anything, so I assuming that Amazon revised its algorithm. That’s on my to-do list—update my ad and see if it kicks off new sales. (But I’ve heard from other authors that the same thing happened to them, so I don’t hold out much hope for success.)

I missed the glory days when blog tours were the way to get sales of new releases. I still set up one for my books, but they don’t pack the power to bring in sales like they used to. Either that, or I’m using the wrong tour companies.

I haven’t done an ad with one of the major newsletters like Robin Reads for a long time. I don’t know if they are still effective, but I need to find out. Maybe another author on this hop will share their recent experience with them.

A reminder to any author reading this blog—please don’t limit your publicity to only one form of social media. P.J. Fiala, one of the founders of this hop, recently had her FB account hacked and she can’t recover it. And she did everything possible to secure it! It also happened to Richard Dee, a regular here. Folks, consider changing your passwords. (If you followed P.J., and have lost track of her, you can find her at https://www.pjfiala.com/ )

That’s enough pessimism for one post. Y’all know the drill. Check out the other authors on this hop by following the links below, and see what publicity doesn’t work for them. And, until next time, remember to stay safe!

May 23, 2022

We’ve shared marketing tips that worked for us. What have you tried that didn’t work?

It’s All In The Name #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 15, 2022 May 16, 2022 Open Book

May 16, 2022

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.”

There’s a lot in a name and we all know it. I won’t get into the ways that social/economic/political factors can be influenced by names, but I will acknowledge they make a difference in the way I name my characters. I try to make my good guys sound like good guys, and my bad guys like villains. How do I do that?

It’s the way the names ‘sound.’ Although American English draws from many languages, some sounds are more pleasing to the ear. For example, think about the contrast between the ‘hard’ c and the ‘soft’ c. Which is easier on the ear? Chaos or celery? So, my villains may have names that use ‘hard’ sounds while my heroes have softer names. Gertrude vs Sarah, for example.

But where do I find my names? I’ve got a variety of sources. For one, I keep a notebook with unusual names that I run into. I have pages of nothing but names, both first and last. Most of them I use for minor characters because my major characters often name themselves. But I try to come up with names that aren’t found in social media or in a google search. I do this by changing one or two characters in the name.

For Wolves’ Pawn, I used the US census from the 1700s and 1800s as a source for some of my last names. I wanted to give the wolf packs a historical feel, to show they had been on their lands for a long time. I’m probably the only one who is aware of it, but now you are in on the secret! Most of the first names were more modern, to make the characters more comfortable for the readers.

The names continued in Wolves’ Knight, but Wolves’ Gambit changed geographic locations, I switched the basis for names to reflect the difference in the packs’ backgrounds. I drew heavily on minor biblical names, but changed them to be familiar without being the actual names. My intent was to mimic the way language shifts happen in isolated populations.

Names in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries are different. I wanted to use names that could be found in any small town in the northeast USA. That gave me a wide range of options because my small town reflected the diversity of the area. As my cast of background characters grew across the series, I had to make sure I didn’t repeat a name accidentally, and my notebook came into play.

The notebook has been used for other thing—scribblings with ideas for plots, revisions, general notes—, and I’m running out of pages. It’s about time to retire it and start a new one. Maybe one of those nice ones that I hate to use because I should save them? (Don’t ask me save them for what. I don’t have a good answer.)

How do our other authors get their characters’ names? Just follow the links below to find out. And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

May 16, 2022

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

#OpenBook Blog Hop: The Award For The Worst

By P.J. MacLayne May 8, 2022 May 9, 2022 Open Book

May 9, 2022

Do you remember the worst thing you have ever written? Will you share?

The worst thing I’ve ever written? I’ve written some lousy stuff along the way, but I’ve learned from my mistakes, I hope. Narrowing it down to just one piece of work is difficult because I’ve got plenty to choose from!

I won’t inflict the early fantasy on you — I have a copy somewhere, but don’t want to dig it out. So, I’ll settle for one of my bad poems. Incorrect punctuation and all. Now, this isn’t the worst I’ve ever written, it has a good line or two, but a lot could be improved. Like start over from scratch and try again.

Newlywed Blues

Sure, we’re happy together
But this morning
The eggs didn’t turn out right,
The bacon got burnt,
When you go to the table,
You didn’t feel like eating anyway

So when you went to work,
Forgetting to kiss me as you left,
And I was alone
With your dog,
And the dishes to do,
I started crying
I can’t really say why

Because I know you love me
As much as I love you
These days will happen,
We can’t stop them
But tomorrow is another day,
Another beginning
And tomorrow,
We’ll have pancakes

Did you make it all the way thru? Will you ever forgive me for inflicting it on you?

I’ve written worse, but many of those have been (happily) lost to the passage of time. I didn’t realize how badly pencil fades, even when the paper it’s on is stored in a closed box. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I’m looking forward to reading the selections from our other authors. You know the drill, just follow the links below to find their posts. And, until next time, please stay safe!

May 9, 2022

Do you remember the worst thing you have ever written? Will you share?

Category: Open Book